Excerpted with permission from "Recipes from a Vegetarian Goddess: Delectable Feasts Through the Seasons" by Karri Allrich, c2000 Llewellyn Publications.

As the Wheel of the Year turns to autumn, the Goddess has welcomed the harvest and given freely of her summer bounty. As Demeter, Mother of Grain and cultivated crops, she rests now after her labor. The Goddess moves a little slower in the shorter days of fall, transitioning into her Crone aspect, anticipating the colder nights ahead. It is time to savor the bittersweet joys that autumn brings to us.

Cinnamon Cornbread
The sweet warmth of cinnamon pairs beautifully with the cornmeal here for a light, grainy accompaniment to any spicy meal.

¼ cup canola oil
1 ¼ cups stone-ground cornmeal
_ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 free-range eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Oil a 9-by-9-inch baking pan. Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend, keeping it a bit lumpy. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle some extra cinnamon over the top, swirling it into the batter slightly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until done. The center should spring back when touched. Let it sit 5-10 minutes before cutting, if you can resist. Serves 4-6.

Harvest Moon Soup
Celebrate the Harvest Moon with this magical soup, crafted from the moon vegetables cauliflower and potatoes. Creamy and satisfying.

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, scrubbed, chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped fine
½ teaspoon fennel
1-2 teaspoons curry powder
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut up
½ head cauliflower, cored, chopped into bite-size pieces
Sea salt
White pepper, freshly ground
Fresh water
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk

In a heavy soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft. Add the carrots, celery, and spices and stir, cooking for 2 minutes. Add in the potatoes, cauliflower, sea salt, white pepper, and enough fresh water to cover the vegetables completely. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Check the water level from time to time, making sure that the vegetables are always covered. Add a little water if necessary.

When the vegetables are tender, ladle the soup into a blender, reserving about a cup of the vegetable pieces in the soup pot. Cover the blender and purée the soup for 3-4 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Add the purée back into the pot with the vegetable pieces, stir in the coconut milk, and heat through on low heat for another 10-15 minutes. Serves 4.

Bread Crumb Pasta for Two
A simple, satisfying pasta that can be easily thrown together on those nights when there is "nothing in the pantry." Magic happens!

½ pound Italian linguini
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the pasta till al dente. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat and toss in the garlic. Add in the bread crumbs and stir well until the bread crumbs begin to brown.

Drain the cooked pasta and pour it into the skillet. Toss it with the toasted bread crumbs and garlic, coating the linguini well. Add in the chopped parsley and cheeses and lightly toss to coat evenly. Serves 2.